Gripping shuttle for looms



Aug. 24, 1937. R. RossMANN GRIPPING SHUTTLE FOR LOOMS Filed June 9, 1934 i Il 2 F196 A )y 9 4.' l .Ni )y MW M Y QL) mun-lum j Jrwefor 1 Rudolf Hr'assmann Patented Aug. 24, 1937 PATENT OFFICE GRIPPING SHUTTLE FOB LOOMS Rudolf Rossmann, 'Gauting vor Munich, Germany, assigner to Tefag Textil-Finanz A.G.,

Zurich, Switzerland Application June/9, 1934, Serial No. 729,780 In Switzerland June 17, 1933 13 Claims.

This invention relates to shuttles of the gripping or nipper type for looms for weaving.

As compared with pirn-carrying shuttles, those of the gripping or nipper type do not carry a pirn or cop but are instead called upon to engage the weft and draw it through the shed for each pick. In some cases this has been eiected by furnishing the shuttle with a hook which engages the weft thread and draws it in the form of a loop throughthe shed, but, apart from these shuttles usually being large and heavy, they are only suitable for use in forming special fabrics having looped selvedges and, furthermore, the weft is subjected to heavy stresses due to its sliding movement through the hook. Gripping shuttles of the type having clamps which are automatically opened to receive the thread, closed thereon and, after the pick, opened by impact of the shuttle with the receiving box, are usually somewhat complicated in structure, heavy and not wholly satisfactory in operation since the opening of the clamp on impact of the shuttle may result in the weft thread being released either too soon or too late. The present invention has for its object to overcome these difllculties.

To this end, a shuttle according to the present invention comprises, in combination with the shuttle body, a weft clamp carried .by the shuttle body, the clamp being operated, i. e., either 0 opened or closed or b'oth by the direct action thereon of a member external to the shuttle body. Separate members may serve to effect the opening and closing of' the clamp.

The clamp may be operated bythe direct action thereon of a member inserted through an opening in the shuttle body preferably in a direction transverse to the length of the shuttle.

The weft clamp may comprise two relatively movable jaws arranged within a cavity in one end of the shuttle and springs pressed toward each other so that, when the external member is inserted through the opening in the shuttle body, the jaws are separated. Alternatively, the weft 5 clamp may comprise two spring lingers arranged within and cooperating with an especially shaped cavity at one end of the shuttleso that, when the spring fingers are moved longitudinally into the cavity, they are flexed toward one another,

50 thereby closing the jaws of the clamp, the external member, on entering the opening in the shuttle body, acting on the clamp and moving it l longitudinally outward so that the jaws will open.

In the accompanying drawing:

55 Fig. l illustrates in longitudinal section one construction of a. shuttle embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another construction, also according to the invention. 5

Figs. 4 and 5 are longitudinal sections through the shuttle shown in Fig. 3 with the clamp in diierent operating positions.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through yet another construction according to the present in- 10 vention.

Fig. 7 illustrates in perspective a shuttle having a clamp similar to that shown in Fig. 3 but with a slightly modiiied form of shuttle body.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, 15 the shuttle body I which is preferably made of steel is pointed at its leading end 2 and is furnlished at its trailing end with a cavity containing the weft clamp. The clamp comprises two fingers I8 and I9 of spring metal, each secured 20 l at one end 3 by a rivet 6 passing through the shuttle body I and furnished at its other end with a jaw 4, the resilience of the fingers I8 and I9 Atending to maintain the jaws 4 closed, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1.` The shuttle body I 25 has an opening 1 adjacent to the clamp, into which opening a. control member or wedge 5 can be introduced in a direction transverse to the length and path of the shuttle.

Assuming that the jaws 4 are closed on a weft 30 thread and the shuttle has just passed through the shed, the weft thread is released at the desired moment by moving, by means not shown, the control member 5 so that it passes into the opening 'l and between the spring fingers I8 and 35 I9, thereby acting as a wedge to open the jaws 4 and release the weft thread. When the shuttle lis to pick up a new thread, a wedge similar to the wedge 5 is inserted between the lingers so as to open the jaws to receive the weft thread, 4e whereupon the wedge is withdrawn and the jaws thus lclosed on the thread.

In the construction shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the shuttle body is provided with a lead core 8 to increase its weight, and the control member is in the form of a plate-shaped wedge 9. The clamp comprises two jaws 4' formed at the two ends of a single strip of spring steel which is bent so as to form at its inner end a slot within which lies a transverse rod I0. When the shuttle is to pick up a. weft thread, the jaws 4 are driven into the shuttle body by abutment with a stationary part which is not shown as it is not part of the present invention, whereby the jaws are moved inward from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the .55

cavity in the shuttle body engage and close the jaws on the wett thread indicated at I3. One

end Il of the loop at the inner end oi' the clamp now bears against the rod I0, while the other end I5 of the loop projects over an opening I I formed in the shuttle body. After the pick has taken place, the wedge 9 is passed into the opening II and thus engages the end I5 of the clamp so as 10 to move the jaws out through the open end of the shuttle. The Jaws are thus opened, and the weit thread is released.

In the construction shown in Fig. 6, the jaws 4" of the clamp are formed on separate spring lingers the inner ends of which are secured together as shown. The operation is similar to that described with reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, except that the outward movement of the clamp to open the jaws 4 is limited by an end wall I6 of the casing, and the control member, when entering the recess II, engages an end face I1 on the clamp.

In Fig. '7, a shuttle having a clamp similar to that described with reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 is shown in perspective, the shuttle body having a nat, octagonal shape.

It will be understood that the above described constructions are given by way of example only and that details may be modied. Thus, for

33 example, instead of a clamp being provided at one end of the shuttle only, the shuttle may be furnished with two clamps, one arranged at each end of the shuttle, controlled in accordance with the invention. The shuttle thus constructed may 35 then be employed for picks in both directions through the shed. Further, instead of the clamp being opened by an external member and closed by another part, the clamp may be closed by the external member or may be opened and closed It will be appreciated that since, in a shuttle according to the present invention, each clamp is controlled by a member inserted through the shuttle body in a direction transverse to the 45 length of the shuttle, the leading end or point of the shuttle has no projecting parts which might lead to the warp being damaged by the shuttle during its passage through the shed.

While I believe the above described embodi- 50 ments of my invention to be preferred embodiments, I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of design and construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled 55 in the art.

What I claim is:

l. In a weft inserting control means for shuttles in looms for weaving, a shuttle body, a weft clamp carried by said shuttle body, an opening 60 in said shuttle body, an operating member foreign to said shuttle and adapted to be temporarily and from without inserted into said opening and to thereby cooperate with said shuttle body and said weft clamp and to operate said clamp.

65 2. In a weft inserting control means for shuttles in looms for weaving, a shuttle body, a weft clamp carried by said shuttle body, an opening in said shuttle body, an operating member adapted to be inserted into said opening and to thereby 70 cooperate with -said shuttle body and said weft clamp and to operate said clamp, said operating member extending through said shuttle transverse to the longitudinal axis and the direction of movement of said shuttle.

75 3. In a weit inserting control means 93' Shuttles in looms for weaving, a shuttle body having a cavity at one end, a weit clamp comprising two resiliently closed jaw members supported by said shuttle and located within said cavity, an opening in said shuttle body adjacent to and communicating with said cavity, an operating member adapted to be inserted into said opening and t'o cooperate with said shuttle body and said weit clamp and to thereby force said resilient jaw members apart.

4. In a weft inserting control means for shuttles in looms for weaving, a shuttle body, a cavity at one end of said body having longitudinal internal side walls, a weft clamp member comprising two resiliently spreading jaws, said clamp member being slidably supported by said shuttle and locatedV within said cavity, said jaws being pressed together by said side walls, an opening in said shuttle body adjacent to and communicating with said cavity, an operating member adapted to be inserted into said opening and to cooperate with said weft clamp and to thereby push said clamp partly out of said cavity, said jaws resiliently spreading apart when being moved out oi' said cavity and out of engagement with said side walls.

5. In a weft inserting control means for shuttles in looms for weaving, a shuttle body, a cavity at one end of said body having longitudinal internal side walls, a weft clamp member consisting of a single piece of spring steel and comprising two resiliently spreading jaws, said clamp member being slidably supported by said shuttle A and located within said cavity, said Jaws being pressed together by said side walls, an opening in said shuttle body communicating with said cavity, an operating member adapted to be inserted into said opening and to cooperate with said weit clamp and to thereby push said clamp partly out of said cavity, said jaws resiliently spreading apart'when being moved out of said cavity and out of engagement with said side walls.

6. In a weft holding control means for shuttles in looms for weaving, a shuttle body, a weft clamp carried by and substantially within said shuttle body and having a clamping face and a stem part, an operating member foreign to said shuttle body and adapted to directly temporarily and from without cooperate with said shuttle body and said stem part of said weft clamp and to thereby operate said clamp, said shuttle body having an absolutely smooth outside contour throughout its length, substantially as described.

'7. In a weft holding control means for shuttles in looms for weaving. a shuttle body, a weit clamp carried by said shuttle body and having a A clamping face and a stem part, and an operating member foreign to said shuttle body and adapted to temporarily and from without cooperate with said shuttle body and said stem part of said weft clamp and to thereby operate said clamp, said shuttle body completely enclosing said clamp and having an absolutely smooth outside surface.

8. In a weft holding control means for shuttles in looms for ,weaving, a shuttle body, a weit clamp carried by said shuttle body and having a clamping face and a stem part, and an operating member foreign to said shuttle body and adapted to temporarily and from without cooperate with said shuttle body and said stem part of said weit clamp and to thereby operate said clamp, said clamp when opened projecting rearwards from said shuttle body and when in clamping position being completely enclosed within said shuttle body, said body having an absolutely smooth outside cont-our without any projecting parts whatsoever when said clamp is in clamping position.

9. In a weft holding control means for shuttles in looms for weaving, a shuttle body, a weft clamp carried by said shuttle body and having a clamping face and a stem part, and an operating member foreign to said shuttle body and adapted Ato temporarily and from without cooperate with said shuttle bcdy and said stem part of said weft clamp and to thereby operate said clamp, said clamp when opened projecting rearwards from said shuttle body and when in clamping position being completely enclosed within said body.

10. In a weft holding control means for shuttles in looms for weaving, a shuttle body, a weft clamp carried by and substantially within said shuttle body, an operating member foreign to said shuttle body and adapted to move in a transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of said shuttle body and to directly, temporarily and Afrom without cooperate with said shuttle body and said weft clamp and to thereby operate said clamp.

11. In a weft holding control means for shuttles in looms for weaving, a shuttle body having an opening, a weft clampcarried by said shuttle body, an operating member exterior to said shuttle body and weft clamp and adapted to move in a direction which is substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis and direction of movement of said shuttle body and to be thereby inserted into said opening and to spreadingly engage said weft clamp and open said clamp for releasing and receiving a weft thread.

12. In a weft holding control means for shuttles in looms for weaving, a shuttle body having an opening, a'weft clamp carried by said shuttle body and having at least two jaw members each having a body and a weft engaging end, an operating member exterior to said shuttle body and weft clamp and adapted to be inserted into said opening and between the bodies of said jaw members and to thereby open said clamp for releasing and receiving a weft thread.

13. A gripping shuttle for looms for weaving comprising a shuttle body having two ends and a cavity at one of said ends, a weft clamp carried by said shuttle body and located substantially within said cavity, the other end of said body being pointed, at least one third of said shuttle body adjacent to said pointed end being solid, and a core within said shuttle body made of a material heavier than the material of which said shuttle is made for increasing the mass effect of said shuttle.

RUDOLF ROSSMANN. 

